Vampires, Erlkings, and Shadowmen
by TravelerOfTheNight
Summary: R&R! After a fight with Tom, Jenny decides to go to the Vista Grande High Halloween Ball without him. But with a night of terror and fun ahead of her, Jenny may just realize it's not Tom she wants back... A Jenny and Julian "two-shot", post-The Hunt.


Title: Vampires, Erlkings, and Shadowmen

Rating: T

Summary: R&R! After a fight with Tom, Jenny decides to go to the Vista Grande High Halloween Ball without him—to earn a little math extra credit, and to possibly show him what he was missing. But with a night of terror and fun ahead of her, Jenny may realize that it isn't Tom she wants…. Post FBG I: The Hunt. A JennyxJulian "two-shot".

Disclaimer: There is no way I own The Forbidden Game. That belongs to the wonderful L.J. Smith.

A/N: Hi all, I know this is belated, but a little delayed Halloween fun never hurt anyone, right? I worked really hard on this and was originally not going to post it, so please be super nice and REVIEW!!! Also, if you like this two-part one-shot (…does that make it a two-shot??), check out my other one-shots and my story The Lake! REVIEW!!

Vampires, Erlkings, and Shadowmen

The music from the wild Halloween party next door shook the walls as Jenny pulled on her costume. One, two, three, four the beats counted. She teased her golden hair into a semblance of style; her resemblance to an average human being was striking to her. Since her fight with Tom a week before the Halloween Ball, Jenny had been miserable. The Tom-and-Jenny unit had (temporarily, she hoped) become Jenny-and-no-Tom. He wouldn't even look at her. Walking down the halls at Vista Grande high, it took all of her strength not to sob in class when she saw the brown haired, muscular jock—formerly _her_ brown haired, muscular jock—with his arms draped around a cheerleader or three, or occasionally one of the "looser" girls on campus. Since their spat Jenny had been a walking ghost; sweatpants and t-shirts had become her religion, and she couldn't even muster the energy to put her hair into a ponytail. This creature in the mirror was striking to her. All week she had seen a pathetic, lovesick (or would Lockesick be a more appropriate word choice?) girl staring back at her, with mussed hair that she did not bother brushing and clothes that she did not bother to look at before she threw them on.

Tonight was supposed to be a change from this week, a difference in the Tom-less norm she still could not accept, but she couldn't stop thinking of him. Jenny's heart ached with the pain of wanting him back. But unfortunately an agreement didn't look like it would come soon; that's what tonight was for. Jenny was, to put it mildly, going a little out of character for Halloween. Nile green eyes peered at the pictures that were sticky-tacked to the edges of her mirror. Old costumes from past Halloweens stared back at her: witch, fairy, (modest) cheerleader, ice skater. This year was definitely going to be a deviation from the mundane Jenny that everyone knew.

Jenny slipped into her sparkling silver dress that clung to her every curve, stopping mid-thigh where the skirt flared out. A pair of gauzy white fairy wings decorated her bare shoulders, stopping where the woven sterling sequins grazed over her lower back. Strings of hoary sequins had been threaded through her fair hair, which Jenny had styled with large curlers. A two strands of stick-on crystal gems sparkled from the hallow of her throat to the middle of her chest, entwining themselves together in a faux necklace where the front of the dress plunged dangerously low. The squirts and sighs of her perfume and powder could not be heard over the pounding music, but immediately the room was washed in an intoxicating scent that the saleswoman assured her would make any man swoon. Puffs of facial powder and blush made the room look hazy as Jenny gently powdered her tan skin and applied a small amount of rosy blush to her cheekbones. Sweeps of white glitter now covered her eyelids as well. The loud music, along with the invigorating perfume and hazy cloud of powder made her sway slightly, and the sequins danced as Jenny's golden hair flowed like water around her body.

Jenny sighed contemptuously as she looked into the mirror; this was not who she was, and yet, here she stood, on Halloween night, in a fairy costume. A, well, _revealing_ Halloween costume. Her wide, made-up eyes flicked from the comfy looking bed to the overflowing pile of homework and textbooks on her desk. Crossing her arms and leaning nonchalantly against her dresser, Jenny debated taking off the itchy costume, slipping on an old t-shirt, and crawling into bed. A groan escaped her Shiny Strawberry-glossed lips and she dreamed about what tonight would be like. She would see _him_. Tom. Together, with some hot girl, dancing at the Halloween Ball. She should have been in his place. But that wasn't why she was going to the dance, was it? To get revenge? No, because in the words of Dee, "He isn't worth your time. Get over him Jenny, he's such a jerk." Jenny slumped against the cool wood surface. He certainly was a jerk, and yet, for some reason, she missed him. She was pathetic. She couldn't decide what she wanted, but she was still crying over the fact that her boyfriend had insulted her and then dumped her.

*One week ago*

Jenny sobbed, "Tom, you know that's not true!" He glared, his jaw tightening as his eyes blazed. "It is Jenny", he said tersely, "Since my birthday the only thing you've been thinking about is him. You left me, cheated on me, hell, go _married_ in front of me to someone else, someone has terrifying as _him_, and you actually have the nerve to tell me that you're not thinking about him? I know you Jenny, and the game changed you. I don't know this girl who's standing in front of me; I don't recognize my girlfriend! You crave danger now, and you want him. I can't compare to him, and besides, I don't want you anymore. I don't want to date a _whore_" Tom sneered, leaving Jenny sobbing on the grass. It was Friday at Vista Grande High, lunchtime, and he had just asked his girlfriend to confirm their plans for the Halloween Ball. Except she wasn't listening (her mind wasn't even on earth), and Tom had gotten angry. He knew what she was thinking about, and he had exploded. "Tom…" Jenny croaked, "You don't… Don't do this, you know that--" His face contorted as he interrupted her, "Jenny, I _am _doing this. Don't tell me what I know and don't know; all I know is that you cheated on me, you betrayed me, and you want him now. We're finished." Vista Grande High's most popular cheerleaders squealed in delight as the jock strode over angrily to their table, pulling one of them into his lap and leaving a distraught Jenny on the grass in the middle of Zach, Dee, Michael, Audrey, and Summer, as well as a circle of stunned onlookers. Jenny Thornton? Cheat? On _Tom_? No, it wasn't possible, they thought, as they left to give the crying girl some privacy.

"Jenny, forget him, he's just jealous. He knows you wouldn't do anything like that now, and he's not worth your time if he thinks that. You have been nothing but perfect and obedient to him and he doesn't deserve you", Audrey murmured, rubbing Jenny's shoulder comfortingly. "I should go kick his ass", muttered Dee, and there was a small chorus of agreement.

*Present*

She let out a calming breath, fighting tears so she wouldn't ruin her makeup. She wasn't going to the ball for revenge, even though a part of her still wanted Tom even after rumors of him and the cheerleaders spread, she was going to the ball to get extra credit. Stupid Mrs. Clarke, she blamed the teacher, why did she have to be on the Halloween Ball decorating committee? The elderly math teacher had been encouraging students to attend the dance by offering an extra 2% on their quarter grade, as attendance to the ball had been low in recent years. Uggh, grades. It wasn't as if Jenny was failing math, she had an A, of course, but the extra 2% would give her an A+, and it _was_ important to get into college… Why did Mrs. Clarke have to give them extra credit? If the meddling old woman would just teach then Jenny could be asleep right now, at 9:30 on a Friday Halloween night, with her parents and Joey out to a party and trick-or-treating, respectively. That extra two percent would look good on a transcript… Jenny groaned in defeat and cleared a path to her doorway. Maybe if she could compose herself she could show Tom that she _could_ go to a dance without him. Maybe. Looking in the mirror one last time, Jenny straightened the shimmering silver dress (that her _mom_, of all people, had picked out, thinking that something cute would get other boys to compliment her and take her mind off of Tom) and placed a scintillating mask over her eyes: a thin piece of lace and glitter that felt cool upon her skin. Like a cat's paw. She sighed. _No, Jenny, __no_, she ordered herself, _don't think about him. Not now. That was what got you into this mess in the first place._

With a forced smile and bounce in her step, Jenny slipped on a pair of silver ballet flats and was out the door, into the midst of the darkest and most mysterious night of the year. Jenny shivered, rubbing her hands together as she walked a little faster down the road. The dance started in a few minutes, but she could be fashionably late. It was unusually cold for a late October night in California, and she wished she had brought a jacket. A shadow from a passed car enclosed her in a shady embrace and she shivered with excitement, feeling warm again. When she blinked her mind saw an impossible shade of electric blue. _No Jenny, don't think about that. Think of…. The Halloween Ball decorations!_ Jenny's gym class had seen the preparations for the dance as they had played dodge ball that afternoon. The sports center had been turned into the classic, stereotypical scene for a dance: wisps of face spider webs covered the doors, tendrils of mist from a fog machine made the room hazy, and orange-and-black balloons and streamers were scattered haphazardly around the tables and walls.

She was trying very hard to concentrate on the paper cutouts of monsters that had been glued to the walls instead of his touch (Tom's? Or his? Even she wasn't sure…) when Jenny realized that she had arrived. Jenny's cypress eyes widened a little further under the constraints of her mask as she took in the sight before her. The entrance to the gym had been transformed—the door was longer now and impossibly tall, with beaded strands of snowflakes and crystals hanging from the top. As she approached the school heat hit her face as Jenny passed a flaming sign that blazed "Halloween Ball" in reds, oranges, and golds. It seemed unfeasible, but the fire was real; she could feel the singeing heat on her cheeks from several yards away. At the doorway a gorgeous guy she had never seen before ushered her inside, eyeing her fairy costume as she equally admired his Spartanesque warrior look. He placed a muscular, bare, glistening arm on her lower back as he followed her inside. Everything was so… real.

In the gym, everything had changed. Lightening bugs floated around the ceiling, lighting the room along with hundreds of candles, which washed everyone in golden hues. Tendrils of mist wrapped around her legs as she entered, seeing for the first time that the dance floor was covered in mist that clung low to the ground. A dark blush appeared on her cheeks as she noticed that everyone was staring at her—the costumes _were _realistic. Another guy she had never seen before at school walked up to her, dressed as a vampire, and asked her to save a dance for him. She blushed again. The creatures in the room couldn't possibly be real: the vampire's fangs definitely did not look like plastic, and the gems that dripped off of princess' necks could have been worth millions. In one corner a group of mermaids sat on a table, flexing their scaly tales and combing their lengthy locks with tinted hands—all of the girls had shimmering pink, red, green, or even blue skin. There were no signs that could have indicated that this was a gymnasium; it looked like a scene out of a horror book, though the characters that she saw were more intriguing.

Except two. Tom looked at her with obvious distaste, his eyes lingering over the hem of her dress and the stares that she was receiving from the opposite sex. His girlfriend of the hour was draped over his lap, dressed as a "bunny", with obvious jealousy. Jenny's smile widened. The pair looked extremely out of place; all of the other people were dressed as mythical creatures or realistic historic figures. Tom-the-football-player and Bunny certainly didn't fit into the gorgeous scene in front of her. A warm hand grabbed her wrist, and Jenny looked up, jolted, to see a pair of ravenous brown eyes looking down at her. It was the vampire. "May I have this dance?" he inquired, and she nodded weakly as they floated to the dance floor together. Tom's eyes narrowed. The vampire had long russet hair that was slightly mussed, and as he pulled her closer to his body Jenny blushed, noticing that other than his dark pants and silk cape he was wearing, well, nothing.

Her eyes came face to face with his chest as they swayed, and, embarrassed as she was, Jenny couldn't get herself to look away. His eyes danced with mirth as the vampire dipped his head, glossy hair tickling her face as he nuzzled her collarbone. She was about to gasp and the very _real_ sensation of fangs gliding along her neck (okay, that definitely was NOT going to be a kiss... was he really a vampire?!) when they were interrupted by a small cough. A female vampire glared at her and then pulled him away. Jenny sighed. Well, she thought, at least seeing the Tom with his eyes about to pop out of his head was worth it…And yet, there was still a part of her that wanted him back. Bunny looked quite comfortable sitting in his lap. Jenny glanced around and wandered over to a gloomy corner, untouched by the fireflies and candles, settling herself in a chair. The waves of exhilaration that had made her eyes sparkle and her tanned skin glow was now gone. Jenny watched, defeated, as a slow song began to play.

She grimaced, disgusted. Tom and Bunny got up to dance, along with the two vampires. The mermaids were giggling with a cluster of sailors, and the Spartan guy looked like he was getting very, _very_ close to a milkmaid. Jenny snorted; she knew she shouldn't have come. And alone, nonetheless. A fresh wave of tears began to sodden her eyes as a messenger she had not noticed cleared his throat loudly, rising above the crowd of creatures while his podium lifted off of the ground. The short man began to speak in a booming voice, elongating his words, "Would allllllllll single laaaaaaadiessss pleassse step on to the dance floooor tonight. The Erlkingggg will chooooose his midnight Halloween bride nowww." Jenny peered at the clock. It was 11:45. Erlking? The erlking.... the name sounded familiar. Jenny's thoughts were interrupted by a musical water-over-rocks voice in front of her, "Would you allow me the honor of dancing with you?" Jenny stopped breathing.


End file.
